His comments drew a sharp response from Culture Secretary Maria Miller who said: “I have to say I don’t find the tone of his intervention quite what I would like to hear.”

But speaking during Department for Culture, Media and Sport questions in the Commons Mr Edwards, the MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, said: “The first world war was caused by a complete foreign policy malfunction based on the imperial ambitions of the elites of the time, resulting in the deaths of 30 million soldiers and seven million civilians.

“Surely the Secretary of State agrees that it would be more appropriate to commemorate the end of the war, rather than the jamboree reminiscent of the jingoistic nonsense used to drum up support for the slaughter replicated in 2014?”